This version of Chai takes a blend of Indian Black Teas and mixes it with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Clove, Ginger, Gingerbread and Jamaican Rum Flavoring, and Nutmeg Oil. Yum! The aroma is very sweet, the bag smells mainly of the Nutmeg and Clove with just a hint of the Cinnamon.

The aroma of the brewed tea is also very sweet, but now you get to sample all the olfactory pleasures in this blend. The spices swirl together with just a hint of the Jamaican Rum to bring in the nostalgia of the holidays (especially if that nostalgia involves spiced cookies and clove pomanders.) Stash’s website describes the tea as exotic, but to me it is old fashioned nostalgic goodness! The winter holidays always meant spiced potpourris simmering on the stove, making clove pomanders and Victorian Kissing balls, and drinking spiced…well…everything.

The taste is fairly mild for all the spicy aroma, which is both good and bad. I want a stronger Chai when I drink it, but at the same time I don’t want to be overwhelmed by the Cinnamon and Clove because then I cannot taste the minutia of the tea itself. At first the tea is mellow, a nice Black blend with an idea of spiciness. Next is the slightly tingly and also slight sweetness of the Cloves and Cinnamon, then we have the burn of the Ginger as hits the back of your mouth, lastly finishing with the slight bitterness of the Nutmeg as an aftertaste. Nothing overpowers each other which means it is a spectacular blend, so why am I complaining about it not being strong enough? The base tea, it is there as an idea but not really a flavor, to me the mark of perfect Chai is an exquisite blend of spices in a rich base tea (preferably Assam, but I enjoy blends as well) I want to be able to taste both very clearly.

So honestly me being picky is my only complaint. This tea is delightful and I am excited for the Holidays so I can get more of Stash’s teas, and especially the Chai. As with most Chai it is best with a bit of sugar and cream, though luckily this tea is already slightly sweet so it doesn’t need a ton of sugar in it.

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My Rating Guide, This is a personal rating and not necessarily a reflection of the tea’s quality
100-Must have on hand, it is one of my favorite teas
85-99-Really good teas, like exquisitely good
65-84-Not bad, they can be good but generic, or just teas that I found enjoyably ok.
40-64-Not a favorite, but not terrible. I would drink it if it was in front of me but I doubt I would seek it out on my own.
20-40-Not the best tea ever, either it was not to my liking or it was really bland. Chances are I would turn this one down unless I was really thirsty.
0-19-No, just no. Either there was something wrong with this tea or it was utterly undrinkable by me.

I am a Geek, hardcore fan-girl Geek. It shapes my life. I spend a large chunk of my life painting miniatures and contemplating my various army layouts. I hoard dice, get obsessed with games, and will talk about whatever fandom, game, etc that I am obsessed over until I am blue in the face. I am not just a gamer girl type Geek, I also fit in the collecting knowledge and spending way too much time reading and researching category of Geek.

But there is more to me than just being a giant nerd. I love tea, always have and have just gotten more and more obsessed as I get older. I love trying new teas and then writing lengthy descriptions about them on my blog, I love reading and researching the history and culture of tea, I love collecting tea pots and fancy tea tools.

When the weather allows it, I love to go mushroom hunting. I don’t eat them, instead I use them for photography and spore prints. I love nature and worked as a Naturalist in the Northwoods one summer, it might have been the best job ever.

I have Fibromyalgia, it sucks, but I feel people who are going to interact with me should know since I tend to vanish because of it so fair warning! I do tend to not vanish very long though. Also I have some ‘social disorders’ which basically translates to I am really awkward and bad at socializing, so forgive any lack of social graces.

I also have cats, love the ocean and all aquatic life, love cheese, and collect hats.

My favorite tea is definitely Oolong, but I also love Japanese greens and…ok I just love tea actually :P I am not a huge fan of lemony black teas or tart fruit teas. I also loathe hibiscus (usually)